Articulated anchor for measuring tapes

Abstract

An articulated anchor for measuring tapes has a planar base having opposite parallel first and second planar surfaces. A releasable adhesive pad is secured to a first planar surface for releasably adhering planar base portion to a surface of an object to be measured. A spherical ball is mounted on the second planar surface so as to extend outwardly therefrom. A ball joint housing is rotatably mounted over the ball so as to form a ball joint which may be articulated in both horizontal and vertical planes. The ball joint housing may be advantageously a rectangular solid having a ball receiving cavity formed in a lower surface and, oppositely disposed on an upper surface a slot for mating of the pull tab therein. The ball receiving cavity may include opposed facing spherical segments or dimples for retaining the ball therebetween.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A tape measure anchor comprising: 
       a rigid base,  
       a tape measure engaging member for retaining a free end of a retractable tape measure in a slot therein adjacent said base,  
       a two-degree-of-rotational-freedom rotatable coupler mounted to said base and to said member and between said base and member so as to rotatable mount said member to said base for two degree of freedom rotation of said member relative to said base, and  
       means for releasably mounting by adhesion said base to a structure to be measured.  
     
     
       2. The anchor of  claim 1  wherein said coupler is a ball joint. 
     
     
       3. The anchor of  claim 2  wherein said coupler has a first and second orthogonal axes of rotation, said first axis of rotation perpendicular to a lower planar surface of said base for rotational motion of said member relative to said base wherein said rotational motion has a component in a plane parallel to said lower planar surface of said base, said second axis of rotation lying in said plane parallel to said lower planar surface for said rotational motion of said member relative to said base wherein said rotational motion has a component in a plane perpendicular to said lower planar surface of said base. 
     
     
       4. The anchor of  claim 3  wherein said member is a socket housing, said spherical ball joint comprises a ball rigidly mounted to said base and a socket formed in said socket housing, adjacent a first end of said socket housing so as to allow pivoting of said socket housing about said second axis of rotation between a lowered position and an elevated position, wherein said first and second axes of rotation intersect at a center of curvature of said ball. 
     
     
       5. The anchor of  claim 4  wherein said slot lies in a first plane and said first plane is orthogonal to said lower planar surface of said base when said member is in said lowered position. 
     
     
       6. The anchor of  claim 5  wherein said first plane is substantially parallel to said lower planar surface of said base when said member is in said elevated position. 
     
     
       7. The anchor of  claim 6  wherein said first plane intersects said center of curvature of said ball. 
     
     
       8. The anchor of  claim 7  wherein said base is a generally planar plate and said socket housing is elongate along a longitudinal axis perpendicular to said first plane, and wherein said socket housing has an upper surface shaped so that said tape measure lies flush along at least a portion of said upper surface when a tab on said free end of said tape measure is releasably retained in said slot. 
     
     
       9. The anchor of  claim 8  wherein said ball is mounted to said base at a center of said plate. 
     
     
       10. The anchor of  claim 9  wherein said plate is symmetric about said first axis. 
     
     
       11. The anchor of  claim 10  wherein said plate is circular. 
     
     
       12. The anchor of  claim 8  wherein said socket is formed by opposed facing concave spherical segments spaced apart on either side of a ball receiving cavity, wherein said spherical segments lie on, and are symmetric about, said second axis. 
     
     
       13. The anchor of  claim 12  wherein said ball receiving cavity is a channel extending parallel to said longitudinal axis. 
     
     
       14. The anchor of  claim 13  wherein said slot extends downwardly from said upper surface of said socket housing so as to intersect said channel. 
     
     
       15. The anchor of  claim 8  wherein said socket housing is a parallelepiped. 
     
     
       16. The anchor of  claim 15  wherein said housing is rectangular. 
     
     
       17. The anchor of  claim 8  wherein a lower edge of said first end, common with a lower surface of said housing, said lower surface of said housing opposite said upper surface of said housing, is rounded about an axis parallel to said second axis so as to allow mounting of said housing closely adjacent said base without said lower edge of said first end obstructing rotation of said housing about said second axis as said housing is rotated between said lowered and elevated positions. 
     
     
       18. The anchor of  claim 1  wherein said slot lies in a first plane and said first plane intersects said coupler. 
     
     
       19. The anchor of  claim 18  wherein said first plane intersects a center of rotation of said coupler. 
     
     
       20. The anchor of  claim 1  wherein said coupler has first and second orthogonal axes of rotation, said first axis of rotation perpendicular to a lower planar surface of said base for rotational motion of said member relative to said base wherein said rotational motion has a component in a plane parallel to said lower planar surface of said base, said second axis of rotation lying in said plane parallel to said lower planar surface for said rotational motion of said member relative to said base wherein said rotational motion has a component in a plane perpendicular to said lower planar surface of said base. 
     
     
       21. The anchor of  claim 1  wherein said means for releasably mounting is a resilient adhesive gasket. 
     
     
       22. The anchor of  claim 1  wherein said free end is releasably retained in said slot. 
     
     
       23. The anchor of  claim 1  wherein said free end is permanently mounted in said slot by mounting means. 
     
     
       24. A tape measure comprising: 
       a rigid base,  
       a tape measure engaging member for retaining a free end of a retractable tape measure in a slot therein adjacent said base,  
       a two-degree-of-freedom rotatable coupler mounted to said base and to said member and between said base and said member so as to rotatably mount said member to said base for two degree of freedom rotation of said member relative to said base, and  
       means for releasably mounting by adhesion said base to a structure to be measured,  
       wherein said coupler is a ball joint.  
     
     
       25. The anchor of  claim 24  wherein said coupler has a first and second orthogonal axes of rotation, said first axis of rotation perpendicular to a lower planar surface of said base for rotational motion of said member relative to said base wherein said rotational motion has a component in a plane parallel to said lower planar surface of said base, said second axis of rotation lying in said plane parallel to said lower planar surface for said rotational motion of said member relative to said base wherein said rotational motion has a component in a plane perpendicular to said lower planar surface of said base. 
     
     
       26. The anchor of  claim 25  wherein said member is a socket housing, said spherical ball joint comprises a ball rigidly mounted to said base and a socket formed in said socket housing, adjacent a first end of said socket housing so as to allow pivoting of said socket housing about said second axis of rotation between a lowered position and an elevated position, wherein said first and second axes of rotation intersect at a center of curvature of said ball. 
     
     
       27. The anchor of  claim 26  wherein said slot lies in a first plane and said first plane is orthogonal to said lower planar surface of said base when said member is in said lowered position. 
     
     
       28. The anchor of  claim 27  wherein said first plane is substantially parallel to said lower planar surface of said base when said member is in said elevated position. 
     
     
       29. The anchor of  claim 28  wherein said first plane intersects said center of curvature of said ball. 
     
     
       30. The anchor of  claim 29  wherein said base is a generally planar plate and said socket housing is elongate along a longitudinal axis perpendicular to said first plane, and wherein said socket housing has an upper surface shaped so that said tape measure lies flush along at least along a portion of said upper surface when a tab on said free end of said tape measure is releasably retained is said slot. 
     
     
       31. The anchor of  claim 30  wherein said ball is mounted to said base at a center of said plate. 
     
     
       32. The anchor of  claim 31  wherein said plate is symmetrical about said first axis. 
     
     
       33. The anchor of  claim 32  wherein said plate is circular. 
     
     
       34. The anchor of  claim 30  wherein said socket is formed by opposed facing concave spherical segments spaced apart on either side of a ball receiving cavity, wherein said spherical segments lie on, and are symmetric about, said second axis. 
     
     
       35. The anchor of  claim 34  wherein said ball receiving cavity is a channel extending parallel to said longitudinal axis. 
     
     
       36. The anchor of  claim 35  wherein said slot extends downwardly from said upper surface of said socket housing so as to intersect said channel. 
     
     
       37. The anchor of  claim 30  wherein said socket housing is a parallelepiped. 
     
     
       38. The anchor of  claim 37  wherein said housing is rectangular. 
     
     
       39. The anchor of  claim 30  wherein a lower edge of said first end, common with a lower surface of said housing, said lower surface of said housing opposite said upper surface of said housing, is rounded about an axis parallel to said second axis so as to allow mounting of said housing closely adjacent said base without said lower edge of said first end obstructing rotation of said housing about said second axis as said housing is rotated between said lowered and elevated positions. 
     
     
       40. The anchor of  claim 24  wherein said slot lies in a first plane and said first plane intersects said coupler. 
     
     
       41. The anchor of  claim 40  wherein said first plane intersects a center of rotation of said coupler. 
     
     
       42. The anchor of  claim 24  wherein said means for releasably mounting is a resilient adhesive gasket. 
     
     
       43. The anchor of  claim 24  wherein said free end is releasably retained in said slot. 
     
     
       44. The anchor of  claim 24  wherein said free end is permanently mounted in said slot by mounting means. 
     
     
       45. A tape measure anchor comprising: 
       a rigid base,  
       a tape measure engaging member for retaining a free end of a retractable tape measure in a slot therein adjacent said base,  
       a two-degree-of-freedom rotatable coupler mounted to said base and to said member and between said base and said member so as to rotatably mount said member to said base for two degree of freedom rotation of said member relative to said base, and  
       means for releasably mounting by adhesion said base to a structure to be measured,  
       wherein said coupler has first and second orthogonal axes of rotation, said first axis of rotation perpendicular to a lower planar surface of said base for rotational motion of said member relative to said base wherein said rotational motion has a component in a plane parallel to said lower planar surface of said base, said second axis of rotation lying in said plane parallel to said lower planar surface for said rotational motion of said member relative to said base wherein said rotational motion has a component on a plane perpendicular to said lower planar surface of said base.